by Brian King
His eight-inch claws looked plenty deadly.
The safest way to fight him was to stay as far away as possible. Sheela didn’t kill him with her weapon, so I doubted mine would do the job. On the other hand, if I could use my Tame skill before he got up onto the ramp maybe he’d leave without any danger to myself or the others. I could use the spear as a last resort.
I steeled myself to use my Tame skill on him and peered into one of his large black eyes. Tame worked on Jinx by getting close and doing the same thing. I’d missed my opportunity with those trikes, and building the fort left no time for finding new dinosaurs, so I was more than ready to give it another try.
For two seconds the Erlikosaurus seemed frozen in place, and I had the perfect opportunity to commune, or convince, or whatever I did to bend him to my will. During that time, I conveyed the idea I was a friend.
“Sit still,” I ordered in a firm voice. I prayed my Tame skill was working but the Eye-Q refused to confirm my success. The moment of pause broke, and the dino whipped his tail around and scrambled closer to me.
“Halt!” I shouted as I tried to reinforce the verbal command with a mental one. I took a couple of steps back on the ramp to give Tame another second or two, but the only place left to go was inside the cave, and I’d die before I let that happen.
The beast rose up higher and I saw the patch of red blood just under his left wing where he’d somehow broken off Sheela’s spear.
“Stop! Damn you,” I shouted as he tried to swat me with the deadly claws attached to his feathery arms. I had to accept Tame wasn’t working, and that I was in danger of royally screwing the pooch if I let him get up onto the ramp. I had a second to think how great it would have been to defuse the bomb on our doorstep with just words, but I was ready with my backup plan.
It was time to kill a dinosaur.
I lowered my spear and tried to thrust it into the feathery chest looming right in front of me. Despite planting my feet and getting pretty good power, the spear didn’t sink in. Instead, it glanced along his feathers and went under one of his arms. The reaction from the bird-sloth was to clamp down on the wooden pole, and the pressure almost ripped the spear right out of my hands.
Most days it would be impossible for me to tip over any animal weighing as much as this dinosaur, but he was already on slanted terrain and standing on loose rock. The idea was pure insanity, but with the spear entangled in his claws and arms, it gave me a brief opportunity to push the sloth dino right back over the edge.
“Fuck you!” I blurted out.
I pushed the spear sideways into his stomach as hard as I was able and felt the dino begin to tip away. My heart jumped into my mouth when a claw hooked my sleeve and tried to drag me along, so I let go of my weapon and shook my arm free. I stood on tip-toe right at the edge of the ramp and watched as the tar-colored beast slid back into the bushes he had tried so hard to escape. A second later I was able to step on firm ground, jam my heart back down my throat, and consider what to do next.
Sheela had been running to catch up to me and almost reached my spot on the ramp as the dino tumbled away. The look of surprise on her face probably matched my own.
“We have the high ground to kill it,” I said as I ran to the turnstile.
“Galmine, toss out some spears!” I looked inside to confirm she heard me.
“Here you go, Victor!” the rock woman cried out. A few seconds later she tossed spear after spear through the branches of our door as fast as she was able.
Sheela and I soon picked up eight between the two of us, though more were coming out. Galmine was prepping us for a long fight, but I wanted to end this as quickly as possible. Whatever was driving the forest crazy was a bigger threat than this one dinosaur.
“We have enough. You ready?” I asked Sheela.
“I am, now,” she replied.
Together we started down the ramp to see where the sloth creature tumbled. I quickly established that he hadn’t gone very far and was struggling on his side next to and below the ramp. He looked up the hill instead of down, which was kind of funny because he could have easily escaped simply by going into the grove.
It reaffirmed my decision to kill the beast, and we had the perfect position from which to throw our spears.
Sheela yelled and threw hers right into the exposed chest of the Erlikosaurus. It sank deep into the feathers just like her other attack. Using her example, I aimed one of my spears and threw with as much power as I could summon. Mine flew true for ten feet and sank into the prone body.
“Fuck, yeah!” I shouted as I felt the euphoria of combat course through my muscles.
Sheela threw a second spear, and it pierced the dino’s feathers very close to her previous hit. My second throw was a bit off and stabbed the flailing tail instead of the main part of his body. I was miffed at missing his core, but our other shots seemed to be having an effect on the beast. He was noticeably less aggressive, and I watched for a few seconds as he seemed to give up trying to get to his feet.
I threw my last two spears, but they both missed. It was clear the dinosaur was a goner, and my testosterone-fueled battle focus was subsiding like air from a tire.
“Hey Sheela, let’s get more spears,” I said while glancing at the empty space where she’d previously been standing. When I looked up the ramp, I saw her already coming back down with eight more of our weapons.
“You read my mind,” I said when she arrived. “We have to kill him and then get back inside.”
“Aim for his wounds,” she advised.
I tried to maintain my battle intensity as I aimed and struck the beast a few more times. It felt like shooting fish in a barrel, but there was no room for sympathy anymore. I couldn’t think of dinosaurs like lost dogs back in Los Angeles. These ancient reptiles were built to kill and eat meat, and we were the meat. I’d already been too close to those eight-inch claws while I tried to tame him, and I didn’t ever want to do that again. If I had the option to stand on the high ground and pelt him with flying spears, I was going to take it. I needed to protect myself and the women who put their lives in my hands.
I grunted on my next throw just like Sheela always did. It was probably imaginary, but I felt that it gave a little extra oomph as my spear sailed true. In a few short seconds, we’d each thrown two more spears right into the gut of the black-feathered dino-bird. There was no way he was ever getting up.
“I think we’ve killed him,” I said breathlessly after all our exertion.
“Victor, you have done well.”
“Thanks, Sheela.” I smiled at the beautiful blonde woman. “Let’s go check on Galmine and Trel. I want to make sure they are okay.”
“That is a good plan,” Sheela agreed, and we moved back up the ramp to our cave entrance.
I was sure something was driving those birds, but the forest appeared calm now, and we made it back up the ramp without any surprises.
“Let’s get these spears back inside, okay?” I said with a smile as I looked one last time at the dead dino that was lying in our front yard.
“Yes. I will get the others, later,” Sheela agreed with a satisfying hint of heavy breathing as we collected the last few spears Galmine had tossed out. I was still unable to catch my breath after the scrambling and running, and I was glad I wasn’t the only one left breathless by our fight.
Galmine was waiting for us at the open door.
“Oh, Victor. I’m so glad you and Sheela are okay. You were so brave pushing it over the edge like that,” the rock-skinned woman said as she motioned us to come inside.
“Nah, it was nothing. You helped kill it when you got us those spears,” I said with a smile. “I may have pushed it away from the cave, but it took the whole team to kill it.”
“Aww,” Galmine said as she brought her hands up to her chest. The adoration in her eyes was apparent, and I forced myself to look away before I checked her out again.
Sheela and I pulled at the barrier to secure the cave.
My lungs continued to demand more air, but I was pleased my breathing was coming back to normal much faster than it did two weeks ago. By the time we had the turnstile in place my breathing was just about back to baseline.
“What’s going on out there?” Galmine said once the gate was closed.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “All those bird-dinos ran by, but now it seems to have quieted down again. I’m not sure what that means.”
“We were worried sick about you,” the silver-haired woman added.
“Not we. Just her. I had no doubt Sheela would return,” Trel said in a tempered voice. “Though I suppose what you did to protect us was mildly useful.”
“I’m glad to see you, too,” I said with legitimate happiness. The spider-woman stood on her human legs at the far side of the fire, but I couldn’t overlook the fact that she also held a spear in her hand for the first time since I’d known her.
“And thanks for watching out for Galmine, Trel,” I motioned to the spear. “By calling us home, you might have saved her life.” I’d figured out the best way to interact with Trel was to douse her in compliments.
“What? Oh, this?” Trel seemed to notice her spear as if someone had sneaked it into her hand. “I needed this to tend the fire. I am very hot inside this cave today and wanted to adjust the coals from a distance.”
I didn’t point out she was currently standing right next to the hot fire, or that there were no burns on the end of the spear. She and I both knew what she’d done.
After Trel said her piece, I noticed Galmine was still watching me with admiration. She wore the biggest smile I’d ever seen on her, which was saying a lot. Her large green eyes had a curious sparkle and the way she looked at me bordered on feral. Her simulated bathing suit was now just a faint outline, and I got the feeling she was undressing me with those emerald beauties.
“Victor, I have something for you,” Galmine said as she stepped closer to me. Her perfume enveloped me as she put her arms around my neck. As soon as her hands were on the back of my neck, she pulled me down to her face.
“Do tell,” I replied while desperate to sound nonchalant. I knew what she had in mind because we joked about it every night. After that first encounter standing guard at the cave entrance, she made it clear what she wanted from me. However, each night after that we had to push it back in the face of exhaustion, stress, and the business of staying alive. Galmine seemed to thrive on our sexual tension, and though she often teased me during those night shifts, she never took it any further.
“You saved my life,” Galmine said. “You always make me feel safe. You watch over me even though I’m not yours to take care of--”
“That’s not why--” I tried to reply.
“This is the one time when I’m going to tell you what to do, Victor,” she said with a playful grin.
“You are a giver,” the stone woman continued. “I’ve watched you give and give since you got here. The water. The food. The fort. You’ve helped Sheela and me stay alive without asking anything in return. You even refused my advances in those first days, do you remember?” Her lips pursed together as she flashed me a fake pout.
“I do,” I admitted. I’d steered away from all talk of sex so I didn’t distract myself from the more important task of staying alive. However, each time I did that, I paid the price by walking around with a tent in my pants. The flirtatious Galmine loved to call me out on it. I figured it was the cost of doing business with three beautiful women and it was all worth it since it kept them alive.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about this for a while because it is not the way of my people to give themselves to only one person,” Galmine said while getting even closer to my lips. “But after what I just saw you do, I’m done thinking about it. I’m yours, Victor. I’m yours in every way a woman and a man of your world can be together. It’s your reward for all your hard work to keep me alive. Now, I want you to let me take care of you in return.” She looked up at me as if desperate for me to say yes.
I had a confusing burst of emotions, but there was no denying I’d wanted to accept her proposition since that first night at my guard post. I leaned in the last few inches and she met my kiss with a skilled tongue. Her body moved closer to mine, and she pressed her breasts up against my chest while she continued her eager kiss. A moment later my dick rode up against her stomach, and she moaned when she felt it press against her skin.
She roughly pushed me away, but didn’t release me.
“I want you right now, Victor,” she whispered while pointing next to the fire. “Right here.”
There was no denying I wanted her, too. God, I’d wanted to fuck each of these three women since the moment I’d arrived. Before that, I’d wanted to fuck Lacey and every girl at her pool party. Sheela said I’d tamed myself here, but my restraint was at the breaking point.
“We can’t, Galmine. God knows I want to, but the dinosaurs outside--
“There will always be dinosaurs outside,” she interrupted me. “They can wait an hour or two.” She flashed me a playful wink.
“Trel and Sheela are standing right here,” I said as I gestured to the other two women. It felt all sorts of weird to have the others in the cave while Galmine talked about becoming my lover.
“They can watch--” Galmine started to say.
“Disgusting!” Trel cried out. “I don’t want to see that. You will not engage in such animal behavior in this cave.”
“Perhaps you can use the alcove?” Sheela suggested as she pointed to Trel’s room. “I can wait outside.”
“May we have privacy behind your curtain, dear Trel?” Galmine said in a courteous but urgent voice.
“And sully my living space? Absolutely not! I forbid it!” Trel forcefully stated with her own brand of tenacity.
I chuckled at the whole thing. I would love nothing more than to “sully” her quarters after how she’d treated me all this time, but even my rock-hard boner wouldn’t allow me to be a dick to her. I searched the cave for an alternative even though I knew privacy was impossible.
Sheela was near the barrier and it looked like she was preparing to leave, but seeing the feline warrior made me rethink that dumb idea with my leader’s brain. I really needed to focus on the task at hand. I did want to have sex with Galmine, but it was going to have to wait until I was done with our new fort, or we had some privacy.
Galmine turned my head so I faced her again.
“Just take me, Victor,” she said in a sultry beg of a voice. “We are all adults here. I need to be yours. I want to be yours. I don’t care if our friends watch. They can even participate if they want to.”
“Uhh, no, and ewww,” Trel said, but I noticed that the spider-woman hadn’t stepped away from us.
I had to fight the primal urge.
As a leader with strange shit going down outside our cave, I knew having sex right now was just fucking wrong. As a twenty-one-year-old male with almost two weeks of time served in the company of smoking hot babes, I was--
My indecision was interrupted as the Eye-Q flashed an update. I smiled at Galmine and pulled her face against my neck, so I could take a moment to read it. The Assets tab flashed on the main screen. When I clicked in, I saw some new information.
Structures: 0
Creatures: 1
Women: 1
The “1” after Women was flashing, so I touched it and navigated to the next screen. It was a simple text message which said: Woman added: Galmine.
I smiled at the implications of it and gently pushed the silver-haired woman off my chest, so I could look in her eyes again. I was going to mention the computer, but when I saw those hungry green orbs and wet lips, I lost the ability to speak and instead pulled her in for another kiss. I fell into the moment and savored Galmine’s sweet-tasting mouth to the point I lost track of how long we were standing there.
“Victor,” Sheela finally called to get my attention.
I opened my eyes and stopped kissing the wa
rm granite-woman. Galmine smiled but didn’t try to stop me, and I admired her for an extra second because she was so beautiful.
I noticed Jinx running in circles back by his woodpile, and I got the sense he was also attempting to get my attention.
“Victor, there is something out there,” Sheela added before I could reply to her first attempt.
“Hang on,” I said while scraping myself from Galmine and walking the few steps to the front entrance. “What do you see?”
“Not see, hear,” Sheela relayed while appearing to strain as she listened. “There is something big coming this way.”
I didn’t hear or see anything outside until one of the white birds ran through the grove on the far side of the fort.
“Is that what you heard?” I pointed at the distant bird.
“No,” Sheela said a little dramatically, “it is still approaching.”
“I feel it,” Trel remarked in a quiet voice. “She’s right. Something’s coming. The ground is vibrating.”
I couldn’t hear or feel anything unusual, so I was unsure how to plan for it. I didn’t feel very much like a leader, especially because the two women could sense the danger, but I could not. While I was enjoying Galmine’s affection, I wasn’t thinking about dinosaurs, guarding the cave, or building our fort, and as a result, I’d put everyone in danger. Who was I kidding by thinking I could run off with her like a horny teenager?
“I don’t--” I started to say, but I did hear a new sound, and I strained my ears. It was a distant rumble like a freight train passing through the other side of town.
And it was undoubtedly getting louder.
“Look. More animals are fleeing,” Sheela said as she pointed to the grove. Packs of the white birds ran the same way as all those before them. Smaller multi-colored flying birds also flew from tree to tree as if they were searching for one where they’d be safe. A line of five or six more of those golden dinosaurs ran right by the fort, moving to our right like all the rest. I tried to get an ID on those goldens, but the Eye-Q didn’t return any data.
